TikTok influencer Gabbie Gonzalez arrested for alleged dark web murder-for-hire plot against Jack Avery

A murder-for-hire plot tied to a custody dispute

TikTok influencer Gabbie Gonzalez has been arrested for allegedly attempting to hire a hit man on the dark web to kill former Why Don't We singer Jack Avery. The 24-year-old content creator, known for posts about travel, lifestyle and motherhood, was booked into the Humboldt County jail in Eureka, California, on May 15, according to NME.

Two other people were charged alongside her in Los Angeles County: her father, Francisco Gonzalez, a Miami-based lawyer, and Kai Cordrey, a Hawaii surf instructor. All three face charges related to the alleged murder-for-hire plot. Custody records reportedly indicate that Gabbie is being held without bond.

What the affidavit says

Per the affidavit, the alleged plot grew out of a prolonged custody and visitation dispute over Gabbie and Avery's shared child. Investigators claimed Francisco became "deeply involved" in the custody battle and attempted to "discredit, monitor and remove Avery" from the family. Witnesses reportedly told investigators he said words "to the effect that it would be cheaper if Avery were dead."

Cordrey allegedly entered the picture around March 2021, when Francisco reportedly began communicating with him about hiring someone to threaten or harass the singer. Gabbie and Cordrey are then said to have discussed using the dark web and Bitcoin to arrange the killing, with the pair allegedly floating the idea of staging Avery's death as a car accident.

Financial records cited in the affidavit state that Francisco sent Cordrey $10,000 via the Square app in 2021, disguised as payment for web-development services. Federal agents later enlisted an undercover agent posing as a hit man. Francisco allegedly spoke in code during a phone call with that agent and discussed prior Bitcoin payments and a post-completion fee.

Gabbie Gonzalez was expected to be arraigned on May 21. Francisco reportedly remained in custody in Florida at the time of reporting.

Avery had spoken about the threat

Avery himself addressed the situation publicly when he appeared on the Zach Sang Show podcast in September 2025. "Two agents, they show up. Someone hired someone to kill me," he said, adding that he had never spoken about it before. He declined to name any suspects at the time, and described Gabbie as "a great mom, an incredible mom."

Why Don't We, briefly

Why Don't We were active between 2016 and 2022 and released two studio albums, '8 Letters' (2018) and 'The Good Times And The Bad Ones' (2021). The group went on hiatus following a legal dispute with their former management and officially lost the rights to the Why Don't We name in February of last year.